Dr. C#: A pedagogic IDE for C# featuring a read-eval-print-loop

Author

Lu, Dennis Iee

Date

2003

Advisor

Cartwright, Robert S.

Degree

Master of Science

Abstract

As the primary programming language of the Microsoft .NET platform, C# will play a significant role in software development for the foreseeable future. As the language rapidly gains popularity in industry, tools made for C# development focus on the professional programmer, while leaving the beginning computer science student behind.
To address this problem, we introduce Dr. C#, a simple lightweight development environment with an integrated, interactive Read-Eval-Print-Loop (REPL). Dr. C# helps flatten the learning curve of both the environment and the language, enabling students to quickly learn key elements of the language and focus more easily on concepts. Dr. C# thus serves not only as a learning tool for beginner students but also as a teaching tool for instructors. The editor is based on an open source IDE called SharpDevelop. This thesis describes the implementation of Dr. C# focusing primarily on building the REPL and integrating with SharpDevelop.